Recommended armor sets for when using the sword and shield in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Included are the best armor pieces to use as you progress from early to late game.

Sword and Shield Armor Sets

The short reach of the sword and shield requires you to engage monsters at close range. While quite risky, the ability to guard against incoming attacks with the shield adds a bit of survivability to battles.

Since guarding depletes your weapon’s sharpness, skills like handicraft and speed sharpening will be very useful early on. As you progress further, you will be less reliant on guarding. This allows you to focus on offensive skills like weakness exploit, attack boost, and maximum might for taking on tougher monsters.

Recommended Skills

Skill

Effect

Airborne

Increases the attack power of jumping attacks, including falling bash.

Weakness Exploit

Increases affinity when attacking monster weak points.

Maximum Might

Increases affinity when attacking at full stamina.

Agitator

Increases affinity when monster is enraged. Allows you to deal more damage when monster is angered.

Activated Skills

Skills

Health Boost (Level 1)

Weakness Exploit (Level 1)

Critical Eye (Level 1)

Recovery Up (Level 1)

Airborne

Armor set progression with further focus on survivability using health boost and recovery up. Also gives decent enhancements to offense with weakness exploit and critical eye. Fall bash damage is increased with airborne.

Rarity 7

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Head

Rathalos Helm β

Attack Boost (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Chest

Rathalos Mail β

Weakness Exploit (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Arms

Legiana Vambraces α

Airborne, Evade Window (Level 1)

–

Waist

Odogaron Coil β

Critical Eye (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Legs

Rathalos Greaves α

Jump Master, Weakness Exploit (Level 1)

–

Charm

Attack Charm II

Attack Boost (Level 2)

–

Activated Skills

Skills

Attack Boost (Level 4)

Weakness Exploit (Level 3)

Health Boost (Level 3)

Critical Eye (Level 2)

Evade Window (Level 1)

Jump Master

Airborne

A well-balanced set that can be used to clear the main story. Boasts good offensive skills for dishing out large amounts of damage, especially on monster weak points.

Rarity 8

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Head

Nergigante Helm α

Maximum Might (Level 2), Attack Boost (Level 1)

Attack Jewel (1)

Chest

Kushala Cista β

Handicraft (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Arms

Kaiser Vambraces α

Weakness Exploit (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Waist

Nergigante Coil β

Attack Boost (Level 2)

Health Jewel (1)

Legs

Nergigante Greaves α

Maximum Might (Level 1)

Exploiter Jewel (2)

Charm

Attack Charm III

Attack Boost (Level 3)

–

Activated Skills

Skills

Attack Boost (Level 7)

Weakness Exploit (Level 3)

Maximum Might (Level 3)

Health Boost (Level 3)

Handicraft (Level 2)

Nergigante Hunter (Set Bonus)

Armor set consisting of pieces made from materials from three different elder dragons. This is an offense-focused set that allows you to stack as much damage as possible when hitting weak points at full stamina. The Nergigante set bonus allows you to absorb health when landing attacks, adding a bit of survivability as well.

End Game

Equipment

Skill

Decorations

Weapon

Fatal Bite

–

Head

Drachen Armet α

Critical Boost (Level 1), Airborne

Exploiter Jewel Jewel (2), Attack Jewel (1)

Chest

Drachen Mail α

Critical Eye (Level 2), Critical Boost (Level 1)

Agitator Jewel (2)

Arms

Drachen Vambraces α

Critical Eye (Level 2), Attack Boost (Level 2)

Exploiter Jewel (2), Exploiter Jewel (2)

Waist

Nergigante Coil γ

Maximum Might (Level 1), Agitator (Level 1)

Maximum Might Jewel (2), Critical Eye Jewel (1)

Legs

Drachen Greaves α

Attack Boost (Level 2), Critical Boost (Level 1)

Maximum Might Jewel (2)

Charm

Handicraft Charm III

Handicraft (Level 3)

–

Activated Skills

Skills

Critical Eye (Level 5)

Attack Boost (Level 4)

Critical Boost (Level 3)

Weakness Exploit (Level 3)

Handicraft (Level 3)

Maximum Might (Level 3)

Agitator (Level 2)

Airborne

Soul of the Dragoon (Set Bonus)

Most of the pieces are crafted from Behemoth materials, which may require a good amount of farming. This is an end game set optimized for dealing maximum damage. The handicraft charm allows you to push weapon sharpness to white. The Drachen armor set bonus, meanwhile, helps reduce the loss of sharpness when four pieces are equipped.